“For the first time, I felt a sense of peace and was able to reframe that chapter of my life from trauma into something with meaning and purpose.”
Jesse Giordano, Opal Wealth Advisors
We’re proud to recognize Jesse Giordano, of Opal Wealth Advisors in Jericho, NY as a Community Service Award finalist for the 2026 Invest in Others Awards. For more than twelve years Giordano has been a force for Blood Cancer United (formerly The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society), whose mission is to cure blood cancer and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.
BCU is a national organization whose 900 employees and 30,000 volunteers serve more than 1.5 million people annually, funding lifesaving blood cancer research, providing free information and support services for patients and families, and advocating for access to quality, affordable, coordinated care. The organization has invested more than $2 billion in groundbreaking research to help people with blood cancer not only survive but thrive.
Giordano’s connection to blood cancer is deeply personal. Diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma at age eight, Giordano spent eight months in chemotherapy. As he grew older, he realized how much that experience had shaped his perspective, and how many people supported him and his family along the way. That realization is what motivated him to give back.
“I’ve seen firsthand what these families go through, and being able to support others going through a similar experience feels meaningful in a way that’s hard to replicate,” said Giordano.
Giordano has held multiple leadership roles within BCU. He currently serves on the board of trustees for the Metro New York Region as the Leadership Development Chair, a role in which he has helped raise more than $1 million over the past 7 years.
Giordano also spends time training volunteers across the country, helping them share stories to drive awareness and support. He has connected countless patients and families to the BCU’s resources, making sure they have access to the support, community and guidance they need during a difficult time.
What matters most to Giordano is helping others succeed in turning their own stories into something powerful, as he did with Ryan, a 9-year-old blood cancer patient, and Ryan’s older brother. Giordano worked with both to help Ryan articulate his experience and shaping it into a message Ryan then shared with an audience of 100 people. “Ryan saw the strength in his own story,” said Giordano. “He went from fear to pride in what he had overcome.”
“For more than two decades, Jesse has been a steadfast champion of our mission, combining deep personal passion with extraordinary leadership, accountability, and business acumen,” said Meagan Doyle, Advancement Director for Blood Cancer United.
We are excited to recognize Giordano’s commitment to Blood Cancer United at the 2026 Invest in Others Awards Gala.
